Skyrim RP series...Danifae (Chapter 10) Roots

• Posted by HaggisHunter March 30, 2017 - Filed in TSC: Long Story - ##Bosmer  ##Caerwyn  ##Danifae  ##Ancano  ##Stormcloaks  ##Wood Elf  ##Zora  - 1,128 views

  The branch was just above her head and she was able to jump up and catch hold of it. She pulled herself up and carefully stood on the branch. Her bare feet had a good grip and she walked along it towards the trunk. She put her hand on the trunk and felt the sentience of the tree. It wasn't speech in the normal sense but a feeling of...calm.

   

  She stood like this for several minutes and she was happy. She had climbed trees before and the first time she had touched a trunk she had felt frightened at the presence within. But gradually she had come to know what the trees were feeling and the shock and fear had been replaced with a calm and warm feeling. The trees in the Valenwood could convey feelings towards certain Bosmer and if you could read the emotions within you could tell if there was something wrong with the tree. The tree she was climbing was conveying a feeling of good health and contentment and she was happy.

  She eventually continued climbing higher up the branches until they got thinner at the top. Looking out through the leaves she had a breathtaking view of the Valenwood and of her house over the other side of the clearing, the house the Thalmor rented out to her parents, Minast and Thaena. The Thalmor had been visiting regularly, giving her mother Thaena ingredients to use in her potion experiments. Her father was out hunting and she had sneaked out the house whilst her mother's back was turned, working on some concoction. They didn't like her climbing the trees, in case she fell and hurt herself, but it hadn't happened to her yet.

  She breathed in deeply of the fresh air and laughed to herself. It was a warm sunny day when she had woken that morning and had had breakfast and when her father had left on his hunting trip, he had told her not to climb the trees and to stay indoors until he got back. Her mother hadn't been well recently, and she had been working to make more potions to alleviate the symptoms. Cure disease potions hadn't worked and all they had told her was that her mother had a wasting disease that slowly sapped her vitality over the years. She had good days and bad days.

  Her father had to be the provider for the family so he was away often on hunting trips. He was good at it, having been a scout for the Thalmor a few years ago. He had been teaching her what he knew of hunting, skinning and archery, so she had picked up quite a few skills over the years herself.

  Climbing onto a branch across the other side of the trunk, she started making her way down. It was then that a bird, startled from its roost in the branches, flew out suddenly and hit her in the face. She lost her balance and fell, hitting the ground and hearing a sharp crack. She felt a sharp pain in her left leg and she cried out in pain. Her leg was like it was on fire. She tried to stand up but the leg gave way beneath her and she couldn't stand on it. Again, with a sharp cry of pain she fell to the ground. She heard the sound of a voice calling her name...

   

   

   

   

   

  'Danifae! Danifae! Wake up!'

  Danifae woke up and looked up at the face which was looking over her. It was scarred and sounded concerned.

  She shook her head to clear the fuzziness and she groaned and took her head in her hands. The face smiled back at her and said 'Good to see you're back with us. You gave me a fright!'

  Danifae remembered who the face belonged to. Zora! She gripped the arms which were holding her and sat up.

   

  'I was remembering something which happened in my childhood. The first time I fell from a tree'

   

  Zora looked at her with surprise. 'That's not a very pleasant memory!'

   

  Danifae looked at her friend and smiled 'No at the time it wasn't. I broke my leg and was laid up for a couple of days. It was the first time I discovered I had remarkable powers of recuperation'

   

  'Didn't your parents have healing potions?'

   

  'My mother was always tinkering with ingredients and she needed the healing potions to try and arrest her malady. Besides she'd been so busy working on concoctions that morning she had nearly used up all her stock. She had to wait for the Thalmor to deliver more.'

   

  'Didn't your father have any?'

   

  'He was away on a hunting trip. He could be away for a few days and he'd left that morning. It didn't matter because by the time he came back I was almost healed.'

   

  'A couple of days! You healed a broken leg in a couple of days?'

   

  'Yes. I didn't think there was anything odd about it at the time. I thought that was normal for everyone. They kind of kept me from mingling with visitors except the Thalmor, and Ancano seemed to take a special interest in me when I was growing up'

   

  Zora shook her head and asked 'Did your mother ever find a cure for her malady? Did she find out what it was?'

   

  Danifae thought for a minute then said 'When I was 'taken' from my parents she still hadn't found a cure. The healing potions helped to stave off the symptoms, for a time. I think it goes back to the incident that happened before I was born. My parents weren't allowed to discuss it, at least in front of me'

   

  Zora sighed then asked 'Are you ready to go back outside? You were out for about 20 minutes'

   

  Danifae then realised she was lying were she had fallen after the battle with the Spriggans. She rose up quickly, with Zora's help, and looked up the hill towards the tree. 'How's the tree. Is it alright?'

   

  'I don't know. I didn't want to leave you down here alone. Want to go up and check?'

   

  Danifae nodded and together the two of them walked back up the slope towards the tree. The roots remained in their upright positions and they reached the trunk without incident. Danifae looked at the 'bandage' she had made when she had cut too deeply into the tree. It seemed to have stopped leaking sap. She gently put her hand against the trunk and felt a calmness run through the tree. 'It seems to be resting. That's good. It'll help the healing process. The troll fat will help the wound heal too. I'll come back in a few days and see how it's doing'

   

  Zora nodded her approval with a  big smile. 'So now I can add tree doctor to your list of titles. You're branching out and getting to the root of the problem it seems'

   

  Danifae tried to hold in a laugh but failed. Hugging each other they walked back down the path towards the exit to where Larkspur and Lydia were waiting with the horses. As they came out the cavern Lydia and Larkspur came up to them with concerned looks. Danifae explained to them that she was alright and that she had been overwhelmed by the tree's sentience. The Spriggans had been the tree's guardians and once it had healed a little it would be able to make more. The roots would come back down eventually too. As Nettlebane was the only tool that could cut the tree, Danifae would be taking it with her.

   

  'So, where are we heading now?' asked Larkspur

   

  'Back to Whiterun. I need to pay a visit to Danicka' she replied, holding up the bottle of Eldergleam sap.

   

   

   

  So the four of them mounted up and headed on the road back to Whiterun. It took a couple of hours and they passed the familiar sight of Valtheim Towers, thankfully bandit free for now. Zora and Danifae exchanged knowing smiles as they passed it by, knowing that the two of them had been instrumental in clearing the place out a few days ago.

  When the party entered Whiterun Danifae told them to stay at the Bannered Mare, as Breezehome was a bit small for the four of them. She was going to go see Danicka alone. They all needed to rest up but Danifae, who was used to lack of sleep, needed to see this through herself.

   

   

  Before she entered the Temple of Kynareth she touched the Gildergleam. All she got was a feeling of...dormancy, as if the tree was sleeping. She couldn't describe it any other way. She tried to convey a mental image of strength and health to it but she didn't know if the tree would understand. So, she entered the temple, looking for Danicka. It was getting late and she could only see a couple of acolytes tending to the wounded from the war. She went up to an acolyte and asked him if she could speak with Danicka.

   

  'The High Priestess is currently in meditation, in her chambers and cannot be disturbed' he replied, somewhat haughtily

   

  'I think she'll want to see me. She wanted me to attend to some business and I'm back with news.'

   

  'I said she's in meditation and...'

   

  'I think she'll want to see this' said Danifae, waving the bottle of Eldergleam sap in his face.

   

  'What's that?' asked the acolyte.

   

  'A special concoction that she asked me to acquire'

   

  'What kind of concoction?'

   

  Danifae sighed and said 'By the Divines! It's a healing salve! I think she'd be interested in this, don't you?'

   

  The acolyte raised his eyebrows and said 'Well, yes of course. Follow me'

   

  'It's quite alright. I know the way' said Danifae, walking briskly up to Danicka's door. The acolyte sputtered 'Hey! You can't just walk into the High Priestess' chambers!'. Just then the door opened and Danicka peered out. 'What is all this racket? I require silence to meditate!'

   

  'My apologies High Priestess but this woman...'

   

  'Excuse me, Danicka. I needed to see you urgently'

   

  'Umm...do I know you?' asked Danicka, peering at Danifae with a  curious expression.

   

  'Yes you do. You asked me to retrieve something for you' said Danifae, waving the bottle in front of her face. Danicka sighed and bade her enter and waved the acolyte away. Closing the door behind them, Danicka sat down at a table and bade Danifae sit.

   

  'Now what is so urgent that you disturb my meditation and send my acolyte into an agitated state?' Danicka said with a hint of anger in her voice.

   

  Danifae sat down on the opposite side of the table and put the Eldergleam bottle and Nettlebane on the table. Danicka looked at the bottle and then in shock at the wicked looking knife and said 'If you came here to threaten me it will do no good. I'm only a healer and have nothing of value here. I will give my life for my faith!'

   

  Danifae smiled at Danicka and said 'You mistake my intentions. Let me tell you a story...'

   

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